Finding a Holiday Season Stock

One thing I have always enjoyed about being both an economist and a strategist is the chance to cross-pollinate my ideas. I look to the economy, and then back at the thriving companies and try to find the links. This is also a successful investing strategy.

In keeping with the holiday season, here are some current links between the economy indicators that are spelling out spending success and the industries and companies that are thriving.

First, the holiday season is all about consumers and consumption.

No surprise to see a jump in the Zacks industry Ranks for Miscellaneous and Diversified Retailers, and for Retail and Wholesale Building products. These are the places we are shopping, for Christmas trees, sporting goods, things for our pets, and a variety of other gifts for our homes.

And lo and behold, they also make great investing opportunities.

Our second stop for holiday season investment shopping turned out to be communication components.

Communication components companies are not as visible and easily understandable as retail firms. But investors don’t have to work too hard to understand that internet and wireless networks are growing more and more important to the economy and to ourselves.

For example, consider TESSCO Technologies Inc. ( TESS - Snapshot Report ) , a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) company based in Maryland. As a leading provider of “Solutions That Make Wireless Work” and “The Vital Link”, this IT firm’s marketing tells the story of the communication components industry. TESS also pays a nice 3.4% dividend yield, a rarity in the small cap IT space.

The top Zacks Ranked stocks in the communications components industry are small or mid cap companies with growth potential. TESS is $175M in market cap, NICE is $2B, and SEAC is $324M.

All three stocks have Outperform ratings.

And lo and behold, these companies should make great current investing opportunities too.

Happy investing to all of you!